California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that requires 3D printer manufacturers to include firearm-blocking technology in their products once an industry standard is published by ASTM International. This makes California the second state to enact firearm restrictions on 3D printers following New York. Two other states, Colorado and Washington state, also have similar bills that would require “blocking features” moving through state legislatures.
Since the law only affects 3D printers that have yet to be sold, existing 3D printers do not need to be retrofitted with firearm-blocking technology, addressing one of the major concerns of the 3D printing community. It’s also not a straightforward ban on non-compliant printers and only regulates the sale and transfer of 3D printers, not their ownership or use.
The application of firearm-blocking technology on 3D printers will only be required for manufacturers once ASTM International, a non-profit organization that sets voluntary standards across different industries, publishes or adopts a standard for firearm-blocking technology for 3D printers. The law mandates the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to check for a standard quarterly, starting no later than July 1, 2027, until July 1, 2029. If the organization hasn’t published a standard by that date, then the DOJ is no longer required to check for it, meaning the process to write the guidelines or regulations that manufacturers need to follow to sell 3D printers in California might not even begin.
— Jowi Morales in California bill requiring 3D printers to block firearm printing becomes law — existing machines are exempt, but mandate hinges on unwritten ASTM standard
